I was checking out a "boneless top sirloin petite roast" at Food City when a nicely
dressed woman asked if she could ask me a few questions. At first I thought she was hitting on me because that happens all the time (ha ha!). She was
conducting an in-store survey about consumer views on lean beef and
related marketing.

She and I talked some after the questionnaire and I learned a lot more about the nutritional value of these cuts. I was going to buy the boneless top sirloin petite roast anyway because I thought it looked fresh and perfect for the grill. Knowing they were lower in saturated fat AND cholesterol than a boneless skinless chicken thigh made that decision even easier.

I was wary of the "extra lean" factor but wanted to avoid covering it with a lot of sauces that would just add fat back in. Instead I threw together a "Cajun-ish" flavorful wet rub and fire roasted it.Fire Roasted "Cajun-ish" Top Sirloin Petite Roast
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 lb boneless top sirloin petite roast

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp fresh thyme

3/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp dried minced garlic

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp white pepper

For the au jus

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1 clove garlic, peeled but left whole

1/4 tsp black pepper

sprig of fresh thyme (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your grill to 350f. Have the grill set up for a two zone fire so you can switch from indirect to direct heat.

Whisk the oil and seasonings together into a "wet rub" and slather this rub all over the roast.

Combine the au jus ingredients in a pan.

Roast the beef over indirect heat on a rack directly over the au jus pan until it reaches your desired degree of doneness. We prefer rare/medium rare so I cooked mine for about 50 minutes until it reached an internal temperature of 130f. I also like to flip my roast about half way through the estimated cooking time for even cooking.

Sear roast over direct flame for about 1 minute per side to crisp and darken the outer crust. Whisk and strain the au jus into a warm bowl.

Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the au jus

Notes
You could cook this in an oven and then pan sear it at the end or just crank the oven temp up to 500 for the last 5 minutes.

When I sampled the first slice off of the cutting board I was immediately impressed. It is melt in your mouth tender like beef tenderloin but has the rich flavor of a strip loin steak. The flavor of the beef really shines and the little spicy kick of the rub didn't overpower the tastes but added to it. The family readily agreed. We will definitely be adding this rich yet healthy cut o' beef to our shopping list regularly.

Who would have thought that extra lean would look so fantastic and taste so good? Chris- where did you find this roast? Was it tied up all perfect like that or did you do that? I really want to try this recipe...thanks!

I couldn't find this cut so took your picture to Fresh Market and had the butcher look at it. He said it was from the Rib Eye roast and he could cut it for me any time. Great pictures and thanks for the recipe!

The butcher At Fresh Market cut me one today and I will give it a try. It's a 3-pounder, so will have plenty of leftovers. He cut it off a rib-eye roast and netted it. Have never seen this cut in any meat counter, so it pays to know a good butcher!